Combined pool and billiard table.



Patented 'July I7, |900. J. ZENTNER.

COMBINED POOL AND BILLIARD TABLE.

(Application led July 24, 1899.)

(No Mod-el.)

Y 52720' if@ y @wa/ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH ZENTNER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-IIALF TO OLIVER J. FUNSCH, OF SAME PLACE.

COMBINED POOL AND BILLIARD TABLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 653,727, dated July 17, 1900.

Application filed .Tuly 24,1899. Serial No. 724,928. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it ntay concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH ZENTNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in a Combined Pool and Billiard Table, of which the followingis afull, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in Which-V Figure lis a horizontal sectional view of my improved reversible combined pool and billiard table. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the saine, taken in the indicating-line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of the same, a portion of the supporting-stand being broken away to more clearly illustrate the invention. Fig. 4 is a plan view of one corner of the billiard-table. Fig. 5 is a plan view of one corner of the pooltable Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail Vertical sectional view of the leveling means, the same being taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 3; and Figs. 7 and 8 are detail sectional views illustrating, respectively, the manner in which the pool and billiard tables are secured to the commercially-rolled iron or steel bond and the manner in which the slate beds of said pool and billiard tables are secured to the framework.

Similar characters designate similar throughout the several views.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in a reversible combinedpool and billiard table wherein a pool-table and billiard-table are arranged parallel to each other and back to back, said tables being secured together with a substantial bond, and the table as an entirety provided with suitable trunnions and su pporting-frame or legs, whereby when the pool-table is in'proper position for use and it is desired to play a game of billiards 4all thatis necessary is to reverse the table, and vice versa.

The essential features of this invention reparts bond for securing said tables together; second, in the novel means employed for providing trunnions for the combined pooland billiard table, said means also performingthe additional function of bracing and stiening the structure; third, in the novel means employed for locking the table as an entirety in either of its correct positions, and, finally, the invention consists in the novel arrangement, construction, and combination of the several parts, all as will hereinafter be explained, and finally pointed out in the claims.

Iam aware that combined pool and billiard tables have been constructed by having a pool-table on one side and a billiard-table on the other side of arotatable bodysupported or suspended upon standards. Therefore Ido not claim this feature broadly. The great difficulty met with heretofore iny constructing a tableof the character described has been in the sagging of the table. The slate which forms the bed of these tables is quite heavy, and in a combination-table of this character this weight is doubled. In addition to this is the balance of the tablesuch as Woodwork, cushions, itc-which adds to this weight, and to prevent a table of this Weight when only supported at two ends from sagging has been much sought after. Another reason why tables of this character often begin to sag is that a player in making a shot will often sit on the table, as is well known. I have built a full-size table inexact accordance with the accompanying drawings and declare that no perceptible sag exists.

In the drawings, A represents a pool-table, and B a billiard-table, said tables being arranged back to back and parallel to each other and are secured to a bond C, said bond being constructed of commercially-rolled iron or steel, preferably the latter, and also, preferably, of channel-beam form, suitably stiliened and braced with I-beams. This bond O consists of a preferably rectangular frame of channel-beam form, whose longer parallel sides c are braced by and bolted to transverse' I-beams c. The shorter parallel members c" of this rectangular structure are provided with a single4 central perforation c and the I-beams c', which are parallel with said shorter members,are likewise' provided with single central perforations 0"",y and IOO.

through these aliningfopenings 0" and 0" is passed a preferably steel tube D, said tube being caused to fit tightly in said perforations and of sufcient length to extend somewhat beyond each of the shorter parallel members c. These extensions, which I have marked d, act in the capacity of trunnions when properly fitted intosuitable supporting means, hereinafter explained. From the above it will be seen that a substantial, rigid, and strong frame or bond is produced, as the channel-beams, which have little or no defiection,are additionally strengthened and braced by the I-beams, and in addition to all of this the steel tube employed further assists in producing a rigid structure. This frame or bond C is, as beforeV stated, rectangular, and as theends of the flanges at the corners come directly in line with the corner-pockets of the pool-table I cut away on that side of the channel-beam nearest said pool-table a portion of the flanges, as at c5, thus permitting the.passage of the pocket down past said fiange. I also cut out a small portion of the ange of the channel to permit of the passage of the side pocket, as at c6. (See Figs. l and 5.) The billiard-table being formed without pockets renders the cut-out portions a5 and a6 unnecessary in the liange of the channel nearest said table.

E represents a casting designed to be bolted or otherwise secured to the outer face of the shorter parallel members of the frame C, said casting serving the double function of, iirst, furnishing a long bearing for the. tube D, which passes therethrough, and, second, in providing means in the form of sockets or conically-bored openings e', which form one' portion of a lock, (see Figs. l and 3,) the construction and purpose of which will be explained in the following:

Vboss receives and supports-the trunnions d.

G represents a conical plug designed to be passed through suitable conical openings f, formed in the standards F, said openings bengpreferably arranged one on each side of the trunnion cl and in horizontal alinement therewithand preferably at equal distances therefrom. These conical openings when the table is in a horizontal position are designed to register with the corresponding conical openings e', formed in the casting E. Said conical plug G after passing through the openingf" is forced into the opening e' until the screw-threaded portion g touches the screwthreaded opening e, formed in the casting E, said screw-threaded opening being in axial alinement and communicating with the conical opening e. This conical plug G is now our faces of said slate.

gage screw-threaded holes formed in. the.V

rotated in the proper direction, whichv rotation causes the male screw-thread onthe plug to engage the female thread in the casting E and rmlyclamp and lock the table to its supporting-standard.

H represents nuts or cap-pieces designed to engage the screw-threaded ends dof the trunnions d, said nuts being located outside of the standards F and when screwed home bear thereagainst.- These nuts perform the double function of, first, preventing longitudinal movement of the table relative to the standards, and,second, in clamping the supports or vstandards and the table together.A These trunnions dare designed to rotate freely in ltheir bearing in the standards when the nuts formedin the standard,said screwsI being also provided at preferably their lower ends with heads or other well-known means for the application of a wrench or other tool for adjusting them, which adjustment in one direction or the other causes that portion of the table to.

rise or falland by which means the table may be leveled, as will be readily understood.

t" represents bearing disks or plates uponA which the lower ends of the ad justing-screws rest for obvious reasons.

IOO

The pool and billiard tables may be secured or fastened to the commercially-rolled metal bond C in any approved or convenient'manner. One means, and probably the best, is illustrated in Fig. 7 of the drawings, wherein it will be observed that I have provided. screws x, having formed thereon countersunk heads, which screws pass through suitable holes formed in the slate bed y, their countersunk heads being Hush with the upper or anges of the channel-beams, as ata. Y

a indicates wooden cleats or strips arranged on both sides of the metallic frame auditscross-braces, serving practically asA facingstrips to act as cushions or buffers for the` which can be stretched over the bed` and.

tacked in its stretched position, asusual.

In practice I find that one of the plugs G is sufficient for lockingthe entire table; but I wish it understood that any number of these plugs from one to four may be employed, as I have provided means for the accommoda= tion of four.v Likewise I may only employ one of the nuts H, in which event the table can be manipulated from one end and obviate the necessity of the operator or player having to unclamp and unlock both ends of the table.

I am aware that minor changes in the arrangement, construction, and combination of several parts of my device can be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without in the least departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination with suitable standards, of a metallic frame, a tube secured in said frame, the ends vol said tube lnding bearings in said standards, a nut on at least one end of said tube for cooperating with the standards to lock the frame in its adjusted positions, a pool-table secured to one side of the frame, and a billiard-table secured to the other side of said frame; substantially as described.

2. The combination with standards,of a rectangular frame formed of commercially-rolled metal of channel or I beam cross-section, a tube secured in said frame, the ends of which project beyond the frame and serve as trunnions for co perating with the stan dards,cast ings secured to two of the parallel members of said rectangular frame, means arranged on at least one projecting end ofthe tube for preventing the rotation of said frame by clamping the same to a standard, and conical openings formed in said castings designed to register with conical openings formed in said standards, and a conical plug for coperating with said registering openings for holding the table or tables and their carried parts in a horizontal position; substantially as described.

3. In a locking means for a device of-the character described, the same consisting of a suitable standard or support, of a rotatory element mounted therein, said standard or support being provided with a conical bore, and said rotatory element being provided with a conical bore, which last-mentioned conical bore, when said rotatory element is in a given position, is in axial alinement with the conical bore of said standard or support, said rotatory element being also formed with a screw-threaded hole, which screw-threaded hole is in axial alinement with the conical bore formed in said element, a conical plug for cooperating with the conical bore formed in the standard or support, and the conical bore of the rotary element, and a screwthreaded portion formed on one end of said conical plug for engaging the screw-threaded hole in said rotatory element; substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. In a combined pool and billiard table, the combination of supporting-standards, a reversible metallic frame journaled on said standards, and constructed with U side and end beams, transverse I-bealn braces secured to the side U-beams, a tubular shaft passing through the end and brace beams and constituting the journals for the frame, a casting E secured to one end U-beam between its parallel iianges, and a conical locking-plug adapted to enter alined conical openings in one standard and said casting, substantially as described.

5. In a game apparatus, the combination with suitable standards, of a frame journaled therein, said frame composed of commercially-rolled beams joined by suitable connection-plates and also including commercially-rolled strengthening-beams intermediate the end beams and secured to the side beams by suit-able connection-plates, a continuous tubular shaft which passes through alining openings in the end and strengthening-beams, the ends of said shaft being rec eived in said standards and forming a pivotal support for said frame, a billiard-table secured to one side of said frame, a pool-table secured to the other side of said frame, cushioning-strips interposed between the beds of said tables and the frame, and means for locking said frame in either of its two positions; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses, this 21st day of July, 1899.

JOSEPH ZENTNER.

"Witnesses:

WM. H. SCOTT, F. R. CoRNwALL. 

